Author: Kati Rod | Major: International Business Management; Agricultural Business; Pre-Law | Semester: Fall 2024
Made friends with a few locals
Have you ever seen one of those videos about the big spiders in Australia?
The ones where they show a spider the size of someone’s face. What about
one of the videos where a man is boxing a kangaroo? Actually, in those videos,
I think the kangaroo is really the one boxing and the man is just trying to
survive. Either way, I have been in Australia for five months and I have yet to
see any giant spiders or a kangaroo fight. I have, however, met many
exceedingly kind people, petted a few friendly kangaroos and discovered that
Aussies do actually like to go barefoot in public.
I chose to do an exchange program in Newcastle, Australia because of its
unique wine culture and the University of Newcastle’s globally focused
business curriculum. I aspire to work with global companies in the wine and
spirits industry, so Newcastle was the perfect place for me. During the last five months, I have been challenged academically to adopt new ways of study as I was introduced to a more self-guided approach to the classroom and taking on the role of an international business manager for a home country which I have never called my home. In class, I was tasked with projects and assignments that required prior understanding of Australian laws, customs, and products. Before I could research the countries and companies we were “exporting to” or doing projects on in class, I had to catch myself up on local issues and processes. In classes in Fayetteville, I usually have all the country and cultural background that I need. However, this semester, my understanding of the “home country” had to be built quickly as I went through my coursework (or “uni work” as they call it Down Under).
One of my favorite things about this semester was the beach culture in Newcastle, or “Newy.” I loved going for a run in the morning, taking a dip in the ocean, and then getting ready for class. Something else that I loved was the unique slang I learned while in Australia. Even though I was in an English-speaking country, I often had to ask twice when a local pulled out their local verbiage. Here are a few of my favorites:
Arvo = Afternoon
Brekky = Breakfast
Mate = Friend
She’ll be right = Everything will turn out fine
I’m keen = I’m in
Swimmers = Swimsuit
Mozzie = Mosquito
Thongs = Flip Flops
…The list goes on!
Seeing kangaroos in the wild was another highlight. I made friends who worked at a local camp and every time I went there with them, we saw kangaroos hopping around like they owned the place. I knew I was truly in another country when I saw kangaroos hopping along the beach. That’s something we don’t see in Fayetteville. Another favorite highlight from the semester was volunteering with a national organization that runs programs in local skate parks. Every Monday, we went to a local skate park that is known for being a place where young people do not always feel safe. Fights and drugs are commonplace at this park, but for many of the students in the area, they have nowhere else to go after school. Our goal was to create a place where young people could feel safe coming to play for a few hours each week. Each week I got to speak to students, their parents, and locals who frequented the park. Their stories were inspiring and the joy the kids had from us being there was magnetic. I am grateful I got the chance to help where I could. Plus, the kids always loved asking questions about Texas (where I am originally from), and I even taught several of them how to call the hogs!
Overall, my time “Down Under” was inspiring, challenging, and made me even more excited to pursue a career in international business. I would recommend Newcastle to any student wanting to learn more about international business and exchange the mountains of Fayetteville for the beaches of Australia for a semester.